Fresh Devuan Daedalus Install firmware- iwlwifi Won't install with dpkg {SOLVED}

Alexzee

Alexzee

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Fresh installation of Devuan Daedalus went well.

Boots to desktop and all is good however; if I use dpkg as root to install the firmware-iwlwifi 20230210-4_all.deb it goes through the process but it's not installed.

I also tried to install firmware-iwlwifi from 20230210-5 and rebooted.
Rootfs and /home is encrypted.
Wifi passphrase is correct, checked it twice.
I checked and made sure that it's the correct .deb for my nic.

When I click on the network manager and type in the passphrase it tries to connect but fails and the nm appears again with the passphrase already in place.

I checked and made sure that it's the correct .deb for my nic here:

My wifi nic is:
Code: 
Intel Corporation Wireless ac9260

Code: 
firmware-iwlwifi_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-libertas_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-linux_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-linux-nonfree_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-misc-nonfree_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-myricom_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-netronome_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-netxen_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-realtek_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-ti-connectivity_20230210-4_all.deb
firmware-zd1211_1%3a1.5-10_all.deb
Cora@devuanT:/firmware$ su -
Password:
root@devuanT:~# cd /firmware
root@devuanT:/firmware# dpkg -i firmware-iwlwifi_20230210-4_all.deb
dpkg: warning: downgrading firmware-iwlwifi from 20230210-5 to 20230210-4
(Reading database ... 122256 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack firmware-iwlwifi_20230210-4_all.deb ...
Unpacking firmware-iwlwifi (20230210-4) over (20230210-5) ...
Setting up firmware-iwlwifi (20230210-4) ...
root@devuanT:/firmware# dpkg -L firmware-iwlwifi_20230210-4_all.deb
dpkg-query: package 'firmware-iwlwifi_20230210-4_all.deb' is not installed
Use dpkg --contents (= dpkg-deb --contents) to list archive files contents.

Any ideas on how to get the wifi working?
 


I'm not here and am probably not all that helpful. I'd try --refuse-downgrade but I'm not sure if that's going to help.

Code: 
sudo dpkg -i --refuse-downgrade <package_name>.deb

Happy New Year. I was just checking for reports and for stuff in the queue.
 
Did a fresh installation again only this time w/o encryption.
The wifi still is not working....and the driver is installed.

Code: 
firmware-linux-nonfree/testing, now 2023210-5 all (installed)
Binary firmware for various drivers in the Linux Kernel (metapackage)
 
Just pointing out that the wifi needs both the driver and the firmware, but only the firmware has been mentioned, which is in the package: firmware-iwlwifi. It's the "firmware for various drivers in the Linux Kernel", but not the drivers themselves.

The driver is usually in the kernel and is called: iwlwifi, and you can check whether it's loaded with:
Code: 
[tom@min ~]$ lsmod | grep -i wifi
iwlwifi               544768  1 iwlmvm
cfg80211             1343488  3 iwlmvm,iwlwifi,mac80211
You can see in the output here that it's loaded on this machine.

I guess it's loaded in your case. This post may not help with raising the wifi, but rather with clarification.
 
osprey said:
Just pointing out that the wifi needs both the driver and the firmware, but only the firmware has been mentioned, which is in the package: firmware-iwlwifi. It's the "firmware for various drivers in the Linux Kernel", but not the drivers themselves.

The driver is usually in the kernel and is called: iwlwifi, and you can check whether it's loaded with:
Code: 
[tom@min ~]$ lsmod | grep -i wifi
iwlwifi               544768  1 iwlmvm
cfg80211             1343488  3 iwlmvm,iwlwifi,mac80211
You can see in the output here that it's loaded on this machine.

I guess it's loaded in your case. This post may not help with raising the wifi, but rather with clarification.
Click to expand...
Looks like both are installed--
Code: 
@devuanbox:~$ lsmod | grep -i wifi
iwlwifi               360448  1 iwlmvm
cfg80211             1134592  3 iwlmvm,iwlwifi,mac80211

After typing in the passphrase several times it just won't connect.
 

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Wondering if power cycling, or resetting the router (and the computer) will help since the software seems to be in place. No experience with devuan, and not familiar with its network management system. Machines here use either ifupdown, or connman, and use systemd which devuan eschews.

Edit: if by chance you are running NetworkManager, then the /etc/network/interfaces file usually has any wifi configs commented out.
 
Last edited:
osprey said:
Wondering if power cycling, or resetting the router (and the computer) will help since the software seems to be in place. No experience with devuan, and not familiar with its network management system. Machines here use either ifupdown, or connman, and use systemd which devuan eschews.
Click to expand...
Not sure-

I went back to Intel's website and downloaded the .ucode for my Intel 9260 nic.
iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.618819.0.tgz

After untaring the .tgz I read the ReadMe file.

Code: 
You can determine if your kernel currently has firmware loader support
by looking for the CONFIG_FW_LOADER definition on your kernel's
.config.

In addition to having the firmware_class support in your kernel, you
must also have a working udev and uevent infrastructure configured.
The steps for installing and configuring udev are very
distribution specific.

Once you have the firmware loader in place (or if you aren't sure and
you just want to try things to see if it works), you need to install
the microcode file into the appropriate location.

Where that appropriate location is depends (again) on your system
distribution.  You can typically find this location by looking in the
udev scripts of your distro, the default is /lib/firmware.

IF I understand correctly: osprey, I need to place either the
'iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.618819.0.tgz' folder in the /lib/firmware/Intel directory:-
OR> I need to place the actual file 'iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode' in the /lib/firmware/Intel directory.

I'm just not sure. Also, I may not have needed to untar the .tgz?
 
Looking for the CONFIG_FW_LOADER in the kernel's config.
I have no idea if there is a working udev and uevent infrastructure configured and I've got no clue how to tell.

Looks like this is a bit of a learning curve no doubt!
 
I've downloaded the iwlwifi...tgz file. The README says to put the file into /lib/firmware:
Code: 
cp iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode /lib/firmware

When you decompress the .tgz file, it's simple if you do it in your home directory somewhere, and then when it's all decompressed, just follow the instruction as above. This keeps the .tgz file and contents out of the system files where it has no business being. It's just the firmware code file that needs to go into place on this occasion. Once that's done and working, you can delete the original .tgz file and any directories it's created.

However! That being said, it would surprise me greatly if the relevant iwlwifi firmware files were not already available in the standard devuan packages named: firmware-iwlwifi. If that's the case, there would be no need to retrieve the file from intel, since devuan would already have done that and arranged it into the firmware-iwlwifi package.

But, if intel has an updated set of firmware files which devuan has not processed into its packaging system, then that would be another matter, and a reason to access the intel .tgz file.

The config CONFIG_FW_LOADER is usually built into the kernel. Check like this but replace the kernel version number with the one on your machine by looking in the /boot directory:
Code: 
[tom@min ~]$ grep -i config_fw_loader /boot/config-6.5.0-5-amd64
CONFIG_FW_LOADER=y
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_PAGED_BUF=y
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_SYSFS=y
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER=y
# CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER_FALLBACK is not set
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_COMPRESS=y
CONFIG_FW_LOADER_COMPRESS_XZ=y
# CONFIG_FW_LOADER_COMPRESS_ZSTD is not set

The "udev and uevent infrastructure" will almost certainly be present and working as intended. They are standard features in any distro that uses them.

Edit: just checked out the firmware-iwlwifi package in devuan from it's package list here:
It's version: Version: 20230210-5, which is from February last year (2023), and it's the debian package, though devuan advises to only install packages from its own repos.
 
Last edited:
The standard devuan packages named: firmware-iwlwif are already in the Live .iso and once I had it installed I found all of the iwlwifi's listed in /firmware.

After placing iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode to the directory /lib/firmware I closed all things and shutdown the desktop. Upon reboot the wifi still is not working.

Hours ago I was on my cell talking with an old buddy of mine from California who's been running Debian Testing for a long time.
He thinks that the system is missing a lot of things.

I'm beginning to think osprey that I should have downloaded the
devuan_daedalus_5.0.1_amd64_desktop.iso that's a 3.7 Gig .iso. I didn't know I should not have chosen the Live install .iso.


Two painfully staking hours of baby sitting the download and the sha256sum checked out.
It's the wee hours of the night and I need rest.
bb tomorrow:-
 
Installing Devuan from the new desktop.iso went well at first.

Very happy with the installation.
Still no wifi and the firmware and the driver are installed.
The .ucode was already in place in the /lib/firmware directory.

Asking for help at the Devuan Forum the Admin explained that Intel likes to put it in /usr/lib/firmware and the kernel likes to place it in /lib/firmware/intel.
He explained that I needed to put it in the right place.

Another member in the Devuan Forum asked if I had the other usb device (not the install usb) plugged in with the .ucode on it during the installation. I did not as I didn't know I needed to and they didn't mention it.
He further explained that he had a all black screen as I did and after reading the logs he found that 'seatd' was not installed. I asked how can I fix it and he explained that I need to be sure that seatd is installed.....and further replied that he doesn't know what else to do.

I moved the .ucode to the /lib/firmware/intel/ directory and rebooted.
Things got really bad after that.

The graphic's started to go haywire when opening directories or other simple things that were already installed. Upon selecting reboot all kinds of colors in oddly strange shapes and screen tearing occurred.

Under the Cinnamon and Gnome DE's as soon as I type in my passwd the screen locks up. All key combo's: Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+F1 or F2 don't do anything.

The only option now I think is to arrow down in Grub to Advanced options.

Honestly, folks, I'm not sure what will fix the graphics issue? I haven't the foggiest as to what this "seatd' thing is that didn't get installed or how to obtain it.
 
A third installation was a complete success!-YAY! :)

The WiFi is working and FF is doing it's job.

Plugging in the Kingston drive when the installer prompted for the firmware for the Intel AC9260 worked. The installer found the iwlwifi-.ucode.
During this third installation more steps and windows for packages were shown that did not show in the other 2 installations. Not sure why that is.

Found out what "seatd' is on a Arch Linux man page:-
seatd provides central seat management, mediating access to shared resources such as displays and input devices in a multi-session, multi-seat environment.

seatd operates over a UNIX domain socket, with libseat providing the client-side of the protocol.

That would explain why I had the screen tearing and locking up.
Another mystery as to why that didn't install during the previous installation.
 

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Oh my stars and garters, what an epic saga of Norse mythology proportions. :)

Timeshift snapshot coming up, I trust.

So glad you got it sorted.

Chris
 
This distribution really, really nice guys!
Kudos to the Devuan Team X-Cinnamon looks fantastic.
 

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